Driving and braking mechanism

ABSTRACT

A WEAVING SHUTTLE PROPULSION AND CHECKING MECHANISM SITUATED OUTSIDE THE WARP SHED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WEAVER WIDTH FACING EACH OTHER ON THE WEAVING MACHINE CONSISTING OF CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING POSITIVELY DRIVEN ROLLERS AND BANDS WHICH ARE ARRANGED IN PAIRS PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER ON SEPARATE AXIS OVER ONE ANOTHER AND BEHIND ONE ANOTHER CARRIED ON LEVERS WHICH ARE POSITIVELY STEERED TO BRING THE PAIRS OF ROTATING MEMBERS WITH PRESSURE INTO OR OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE SHUTTLE SO AS TO GRIP AND TRANSIT THEIR MOVEMENTS IN THE OPERATIVE POSITION TO THE SHUTTLE ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE SHUTTLE TOWARDS OR AWAY FROM THE WOVEN FABRIC EDGE AT THE MOST DESIRED VELOCITY OF THE SHUTTLE RELATIVE TO THE WEAVING CYCLE.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Allan William Henry Porter Lustmuhle. Switzerland [21] Appl. No. 819,049 [22] Filed Apr. 24, 1969 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [73] Assignee Aktiengesellschalt Adolph Saurer Arbon, Switzerland [32] Priority May 2, 1968 [33] Switzerland [31 6508/68 [54] DRIVING AND BRAKING MECHANISM 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 139/142, 139/186 [51 1 Int. Cl ..D03d 49/24, D03d 49/54 [50] Field of Search 139/142, 147,133,185-187 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 59,767 11/1866 Harrison 139/142 1 IIII'IIII I Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: A weaving shuttle propulsion and checking mechanism situated outside the warp shed on both sides of the weave width facing each other on the weaving machine consisting of continuously rotating positively driven rollers and bands which are arranged in pairs parallel to one another on separate axis over one another and behind one another carried on levers which are positively steered to bring the pairs of rotating members with pressure into or out of contact with the shuttle so as to grip and transmit their movements in the operative position to the shuttle according to the direction of movement of the shuttle towards or away from the woven fabric edge at the most desired velocity of the shuttle relative to the weaving cycle.

I 'IIIII/ I114 I I 'IIIIIII;

DRIVING AND BRAKING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an improvement of weaving looms where the known and applied mechanism for projecting a shuttle through a warp shed leaving behind a trail of weft thread consists of a picking stick, whip or similar mechanisms which are limited by their geometry to comparatively short movements or displacements on a straight line during which movement they must impart to the shuttle the necessary velocity. As a result the accelerations of the shuttle and the mechanism itself which must be immediately thereafter deccelerated, are of a high order of magnitude. These rapid motions are the real cause of considerable'noise development.

In addition there must exist within the shuttle box itself approximately equal to half the length of the shuttle, nearer to the woven fabric edge, a guide way where the shuttle is free of the influence of the driving forces after projection so as to achieve a straight line flight of the shuttle.

After carrying out the weft insertion it is necessary to bring the shuttle to a still stand which takes place equally rapidly through both braking and striking, against a relatively elastic barrier at the end ,of the shuttle box farthest away from the woven fabric edge. I

These requirements are difficult to control and result in much noise, and this together with the variable braking effects resulting from the shed and the brake surface itself, or through variable start velocities of the shuttle due to not achieving the same still stand position in the shuttle box results in cumrnulative draw backs with particular reference to the spool changing mechanism of the loom.

There are known weaving; machines which have a pneumatic propulsionmechanism for driving the shuttle which are as a result of the sudden discharge of pressurized air and because of the available brake systems not essentially quieter as the conventional weaving-machines, and they have in'addition the drawback that a considerable installation is necessary in order to develop the quantity of pressurized air that is required.

SUMMARY OF THE'TINVENTION It is the purpose of the inventionto reduce the noise level of the known shuttle driving and checking mechanisms,and to control the displacement andvelocity of the shuttle up to and away from the woven fabricedge. This will be achieved by pressure members providedioutside the warp shed arranged in the direction of motion of the shuttle toinfluence the shuttle movement towards or away from the woven fabric edge when in their operative position having the same sense of direction of motion as the shuttle with decreasing velocities respective to their sequence away from'the woven fabric edge and which by choice may be steered into or away from their operative positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings illustrate examples of theinvention.

FIG. 1 isa sectional side view along the driving and checking mechanism'with reference'to linell of FIG. 2.

FIG, 2 is a sectional view with reference to line II'-II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view with reference: to line III-Ill of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a variation of the arrangement of the pressure rollers'with a wedge-shaped shuttle.

DESCRIPTION-OF THE PREFERRED'EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. l-to 3 are illustrated with I shuttle, 2, 2, 2" 2' pressurerollers of theupperleft-hand row, with 3, 3', 3" 3 pressure'rollers of the lower and opposite'lcfthand row, with,4, 4', 4" 4 pressure rollers'of the upper right-hand row, and with 5, 5, 5" 5"'pressrollers-of the lower and opposite right-hand row.

For each two neighboring pressure rollers of each row, for example the pressure rollers 2, 2' and 2", 2" and 2' ofthe upper left-hand pressure roller row exists an enveloping moving band. 6, and each pressure roller is secured on 7 a rotating axis, which is mounted on 8 an arm of a two or three arm lever 9, which is arranged to swing upon a shaft 10. Upon the rotating axis 7 of the pressure rollers enveloped by the moving band 6, is mounted a gearwheel 11, which is in engagement with a gearwheel 12 which is mounted upon the shaft 10 of the lever 9 concerned. v

Secured upon each of the shafts 10 are mounted belt pulleys 13 which are driven through a belt 14 another belt pulley 15 mounted on the shaft 10 secures as an intermediate pulley for the transmission of rotation from the belt 14 to the belt pulley 13 on the other shaft 10.

On the other arm 16 of the lever 9 of each roller pair is mounted a tension spring 17 which tensions the moving band 6 of this pair of rollers. On the end of one arm 16 of a lever 9 of each roller pair is mounted a roller follower 18, which through the pressure of spring 20 upon the third arm 19 of the lever 9 concerned is pressed against the cam form 21 of the front end of a cylindrical cam 22. The cylindrical cam 22 and other cylindrical earns 23 whose backside operates in like manner upon a roller follower belonging to another pair of pressure rollers mounted upon respective levers 9 are made fast upon a rotating shaft 24. The shuttle 1 is guided from both sides by guides 25, 26.

METHOD OF OPERATION The shuttle 1 leaving the warp shed enters the space between the guides 25, 26. The pressure rollers 2, 2 and 3, 3" with their respective moving band 6 are brought into the operative position through the action of the spring 20, the lever 9 roller follower 18 and the cam form 21 and are driven from-a motor not shown over belt 14 and belt pulleys 13, 15 as well as gearwheels 11, 12- in rotation so that the circumferential velocity of the moving bands 6 are in the same direction of motion and at the same order of magnitude in their contact position with the shuttle 1. The shuttle l is gripped'between the two moving bands'6 and its progress and velocity reducedtowards that of the moving bands 6, where uponit? then enters with'reduced velocity the'following pair of moving'bands 6 which are driven by rollers 2", 2" and 3", 3" in the same'direction'with still lower velocity as that at which the previous pair of moving bands runs. At the same time as the shuttle makes contact with the second moving bandpair 6, the first band-pair are raised through the action of the cam form 21 of cylindrical cam 22 and the'roller follower 18 andlever 9'so that they'have no further influence on the shuttle 1, which is now gripped between the second moving band pair 6 and with progressive reduction of velocity, is passed'on to the third pair'ofmoving bands, which are driven with the same direction of motion but further reduced velocity. This processrepeats-itself until the shuttle reaches a stop notshown where it is=brought to a still stand where upon the last moving band pair6'areraised through the cam form 21 of the relative cylindrical cam'22 During the whole of this'described braking sequence with the running bands 6 of the'pressure roller rows 2, 2' 2" and 3,3 3", the adjacent"runninglbands'6 of-the pressure roller rows 4, 4 4 and 5, 5' 5", are held in their raised nonoperativeposition through the relative cam forms'of the cam cylinder 23. These runnin'g 'bands 6 of the pressure roller rows 4, 4' 4 and 5, 5... 5" are driven in the opposite direction to that ofthe running" bands 6 of the pressure roller rows 2,2 2 and 3, 3' 3 by a second motor not shown, or from the-alreadymentioned'motor through a reverse drive system also not shown.

ln orderthat'the shuttlesh'all be once more accelerated in the reverse direction, the running-bands 6 of the pressure roller. rows 4, 4'-

4" and 5, 5 5"through the arrangement of cam'cylinders 23, in reverse sequence, are brought" into contact with the shuttle I.

In a simplified version all of the pressure rollers of the rows 4, 4' 4" and 5,5 are driven with equal velocity to that of the end departure velocity of the shuttle from the mechanism and are so arranged, that all of the pressure rollers 4, 4' 4 and 5, 5' 5" through cam cylinder 23 are placed at the same time in their operative position.

In FIG. 4 is shown a variation of the drive and braking mechanism arranged for a wedge-shaped shuttle 27. For this purpose the axis of the pressure roller pairs 2", 3" and 4", 5" are arranged parallel to the wedge angle x of the side surface of the shuttle 27. For the complete constraint and guidance of the shuttle the support roller 28 is provided.

Instead of each neighboring pair of rollers operating with a running band 6 enveloping the pairs it is also possible for the pressure rollers to operate one after another upon the shuttle. In this case the running band 6 and tension springs 17 would be removed and each roller would beregulated through its own transmission and roller follower l8 and cam surface 21.

I claim:

l. A driving and braking mechanism for a shuttle arranged to move along a predetermined path through the warp shed of a weaving machine comprising, in combination, support means; a plurality of propelling means mounted on said support means outside the warp shed and arranged spaced in direction of said path from each other and each movable between an active position engaging the shuttle and an inactive position; a plurality of braking means mounted on said support means outside the warp shed and arranged spaced in direction of said path from each other and each movable between an active position engaging the shuttle and an inactive position; drive means cooperating with said plurality of propelling means for moving the same in a first direction in which the shuttle, when engaged by said propelling means, is propelled in said first direction along said path through said shed, said drive means being arranged to move said plurality of propelling means respectively with velocities increasing in said first direction, said drive means also cooperating with said plurality of braking means to drive the latter in a direction opposite to said first direction and respectively with a velocity which decreases in said opposite direction; and means cooperating with said propelling means and said braking means for selectively moving the same between said positions thereof.

2. A driving and braking mechanism as defined in claim I, wherein said plurality of propelling and braking means are of identical construction.

3. A driving and braking mechanism as defined in claim 2, wherein'each of said plurality of propelling means and braking means comprises at least one pair of rollers mounted for rotation about-substantially'parallelaxes and drivenby said drive means in the respective direction, the rollers of each pair being respectively arranged so as to be adapted to engage the shuttle on opposite sides. v

4. A driving and braking mechanism as defined inclaim 3, wherein said means for movinB said propelling means and said braking means between said positions thereof comprise biassing means continuously biassing said rollers to said active position and means cooperating with said rollers for selectively moving the same against the force of said biassing means to said inactive position.

5. A driving and braking mechanism as defined in claim 3, wherein each pair of rollers of said propelling means is adjacent a corresponding pair of rollers of said braking means and wherein all of said rollers are mounted for rotation about substantially parallel axes.

6. A driving and braking mechanism as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said propelling and each of said braking means comprises two pairs of rollers mounted for rotation about substantially parallel axes, the rollers in each pair being spaced in direction of said path from each other, and said pairs of rollers being respectively arranged on opposite sides of the shuttle, and a pair of endless bands respectively wound about said pairs of rollers and each having a run adapted to engage the shuttle when said moving means and said braking means are respectively in their active positions.

7. A driving and braking mechanism as defined in claim 6, wherein said support means comprise for each roller a shaft having an axis substantially parallel to that of said roller and a lever tiltably mounted on said shaft, said roller being turnably mounted at one end of said lever.

8. A driving and braking mechanism as defined in claim 7, and including spring means connected at opposite ends to the levers carrying a respective pair or rollers for biassing the rollers of the pair away from each other so as to keep the endless band wound about the pair of rollers in taut condition.

9. A driving and braking mechanism as defined in claim 8, wherein said means for moving said propelling means and said braking means between said active and said inactive positions comprise biassing means cooperating with said levers for continuously biassing the rollers mounted thereon to said active position and means cooperating with said levers for selectively moving the same in opposition to said biassing means and including a plurality of followers, one for one lever of each pair of levers carrying a respective pair of rollers, a plurality of cams, one for each follower, and a turnable shaft extending transverse to the axes of said rollers and carrying said cams for turning movement therewith. 

